In response to the high price of prescription drugs, \u201cAn Arm and a Leg\u201d asked listeners to share their strategies for getting the medicine they need at prices they can manage.<\/p>\n
Host Dan Weissmann and producers Emily Pisacreta and Claire Davenport share tips from a retired hospital manager who now helps seniors find the right Medicare plans, a pharmaceutical sales rep, an employee benefits adviser, and a battle-worn hospital caseworker. Each brings surprising, maybe even lifesaving, information to the table.<\/p>\n
Explore the full crowdsourced series, including five installments of the \u201cFirst Aid Kit\u201d newsletter: The Prescription Drug Playbook<\/a>.<\/p>\n \tDan Weissmann<\/p>\n \t\t\t \t\t\tHost and producer of “An Arm and a Leg.” Previously, Dan was a staff reporter for Marketplace and Chicago’s WBEZ. His work also appears on All Things Considered, Marketplace, the BBC, 99 Percent Invisible, and Reveal, from the Center for Investigative Reporting.\t\t<\/p>\n \tEmily Pisacreta \tClaire Davenport \tAdam Raymonda \tEllen Weiss \t\t\t\t\tClick to open the Transcript\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\tTranscript<\/strong>: The Prescription Drug Playbook, Part II<\/strong>\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n Note: \u201cAn Arm and a Leg\u201d uses speech-recognition software to generate transcripts, which may contain errors. Please use the transcript as a tool but check the corresponding audio before quoting the podcast.<\/em><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Hey there. Let\u2019s meet Jeanne Chamberlin from North Carolina. She regularly talks with folks who take like 15 different meds every day.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne Chamberlin: You are like, oh my gosh. And literally the retail costs are $20,000 a month.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Jeanne\u2019s an expert, twice over. Since retiring from a career managing hospitals and medical groups, she\u2019s been helping her fellow seniors figure out how to manage what they pay for health care \u2014 as a county-level volunteer coordinator for a program called SHIP.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: And SHIP stands for Seniors Health Insurance Information Program.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Actually in some cases it stands for State Health Insurance Assistance Program.\u00a0<\/p>\n Whatever you wanna call it \u2014 It\u2019s a federally funded program that helps seniors with all things Medicare. Every state has its own version of SHIP.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the busy season \u2014 that\u2019s in the fall, when people can pick new insurance for the coming year\u2013 Jeanne says she and her team speak to more than a hundred people a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n And one thing that comes up in basically ALL of those conversations: Can I change things to get my meds for less next year?\u00a0<\/p>\n She says one year, her team added up the impact of those conversations. Half of the people changed plans, and on average, they saved 300 dollars. Not bad\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: But there were many, many people who saved a thousand, 2000, even $10,000 by changing from one Medicare plan to another based entirely on the cost of their drugs.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Jeanne\u2019s gonna tell us how she helps people get those kinds of savings\u2013 with strategies that aren\u2019t just for people on Medicare.\u00a0<\/p>\n And Jeanne is just one person who wrote to us when we asked for you, our listeners, to tell us about your tactics and tricks for dealing with the high cost of prescription drugs.<\/p>\n The result: two podcast episodes\u2013 this is number two \u2014 and four installments of our First Aid Kit newsletter.\u00a0<\/p>\n In this episode, we\u2019re gonna hear from Jeanne and three other *incredible* sources who came to us with crucial insider knowledge. Knowledge that \u2014 now they we have it\u2013 we have to share with you.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne\u2019s gonna help us get set up. She\u2019s gonna share what she tells those seniors, and how it can apply to anyone, at any age.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u2026 Then, a pharma insider is gonna air an open secret.\u00a0<\/p>\n An employee benefits advisor \u2014 a kind of scout for deals \u2014 will tell us where she\u2019d send someone struggling to pay for meds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Finally, we\u2019ll meet a battle-worn hospital caseworker. And beyond the specific tip she wrote in with, her work \u2013 and life story \u2013 are gonna bring us some deeper perspective.\u00a0<\/p>\n These people kick ass.\u00a0<\/p>\n And for all their advice, there is, of course, a BIG caveat:\u00a0<\/p>\n like we said last episode \u2014 your mileage will vary. There is no one solution for everyone. This is a set of patches, workarounds, bandaids.\u00a0<\/p>\n To be honest, a lot of them are actually weird byproducts of the profit-making machine. Which is a big reason they\u2019re so patchy and unreliable.\u00a0<\/p>\n We deserve SO much better. But in the meantime, we can help each other. That\u2019s what this project is about. Including the four newsletter installments I mentioned. And we\u2019ll link to those from wherever you\u2019re listening \u2014 so: you don\u2019t need a pencil and paper here. We\u2019ve got you.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our hope is that you walk away from all of this armed with a *little* more knowledge that could help you or someone you care about get the meds they need. A kind of leg up. An Arm and a Leg-leg-up.\u00a0<\/p>\n This is An Arm and a Leg, a show about why health care costs so freaking much, and what we can maybe do about it. I\u2019m Dan Weissmann\u2013 I\u2019m a reporter, and I like a challenge. So the job we\u2019ve chosen on this show is to take one of the<\/p>\n most enraging, terrifying, depressing parts of American life, and bring you something entertaining, empowering, and useful.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, first: Jeanne wrote to us about what she knows from helping people enroll in Medicare. But she also had an instructive personal story to share. Because even experts have to scramble sometimes.\u00a0<\/p>\n A while ago, when Jeanne\u2019s husband had a gut infection, he got prescribed two antibiotics. His insurance coverage meant one was gonna cost him thirty bucks. But the other one? His plan didn\u2019t cover it And\u2026 .\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: It was $1,200. For a 14 day supply it was just obscenely expensive.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>So immediately, Jeanne says she went into problem solving mode. And her order of operations provides a great template for any of us.\u00a0<\/p>\n Step one: Google for discounts. Just taking a quick first pass at the kind of thing we talked about in our last episode. Maybe that\u2019s GoodRx. Maybe that\u2019s a coupon from the drug maker. Results for Jeanne: Not great.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: I could get it down to $800. It\u2019s like, still, you\u2019re like $800. Really?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>So, on to step two: Tell your provider there\u2019s a problem and ask for advice.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: We went back to the doctor and said, is there something else that you know you can do?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Jeanne was thinking: Maybe the doc could recommend another antibiotic \u2014 one that insurance would cover. Or help them fight her husband\u2019s insurance to get this drug covered.\u00a0<\/p>\n But actually, the doc\u2019s proposal was much simpler.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: She said just take the other one.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Just take the one Jeanne\u2019s husband could get for thirty bucks. Skip the second drug.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: So he did, and he was fine!<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>END OF STORY. In this case. It\u2019s not always that <\/em>easy. But the moral is: ASK. If your insurance covers a different drug, your doc can tell you if it\u2019s a good bet for you. If not\u2026 well\u2026 we\u2019ll come back to other ways your doc could help.\u00a0<\/p>\n But right now let\u2019s move on to the biggest, most valuable advice Jeanne gives to seniors\u2013 and that applies to everybody.\u00a0<\/p>\n Especially anybody with meds they\u2019re taking long term, like blood pressure or cholesterol meds, or whatever.\u00a0<\/p>\n And the advice is this: Look ahead, every year.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the fall, when it\u2019s time to sign up for next year\u2019s insurance plan: Get a look at the list of which drugs your insurance will cover, and how much they expect you to pay for them. It\u2019s called the formulary.\u00a0<\/p>\n Because even if you don\u2019t change anything about your insurance, your insurance could change the formulary. That can happen to anybody.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne sees it all the time with seniors, when their plans reboot at New Year\u2019s.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: People come in in January and this happens every year, and say, I just went to the pharmacy and. They want $300 for my medicine. And last year, or last month in December, it was $30.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>These folks didn\u2019t plan to change anything about their insurance \u2014 but their insurance plan changed on them\u2013 and stopped covering a drug they\u2019ve been taking. Now they\u2019re getting charged sticker price.\u00a0<\/p>\n And Jeanne\u2019s like, \u2018Man, I wish you\u2019d have come to see us during the fall sign-up\u2013 open enrollment.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: We could have probably found a plan that covered that drug still..\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Now, it\u2019s true that folks on Medicare tend to have more choices than the rest of us here. In Medicare, drug coverage is its own separate plan \u2014 called Part D \u2014 and seniors in Jeanne\u2019s county have more than a dozen to pick from.\u00a0<\/p>\n If you get insurance from work \u2014 and maybe there\u2019s just one plan \u2014 this thing of looking ahead is maybe even more important.<\/p>\n At some point, maybe a couple months before the new year, you should get a chance to see that next year\u2019s formulary\u00a0<\/p>\n And it could say, \u201cHey, your drug is gonna be more expensive for you next year\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s your cue to start problem-solving right away. Get a plan in place before that new price kicks in.\u00a0<\/p>\n Step one: Check: Can you find discounts online that make this drug affordable? Cool.\u00a0<\/p>\n No? Time to get in touch with your provider\u2019s office: start tapping their expertise.\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: The provider normally has a lot of people with your condition and probably prescribes this medication a lot.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>And so, if your insurance company says they\u2019ve got some other drug you could take, one they\u2019ll pay for\u2013 your provider will know: could that drug work for you?\u00a0<\/p>\n And if you\u2019ve got a choice of plans \u2014 but they all require a special approval process now for your drug \u2014 your provider will know: Is one of them more likely to actually issue that approval?\u00a0<\/p>\n Jeanne: Ask them about a plan where they have an easy time getting it approved for somebody with your condition where it always goes through.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>And that\u2019s the plan you want to pick. And, speaking of getting your insurance company\u2019s approval:\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019re about to move from Jeanne\u2019s advice\u2013 plan ahead, get your provider to help \u2014 to the next step. Because you can\u2019t plan everything. Sometimes you get sick, with something new. No planning for that.\u00a0<\/p>\n And sometimes, your insurance is definitely not gonna say yes right away to the drug your doc thinks you need. And your doc thinks you need this <\/em>particular drug. So, how ELSE can your provider help?<\/p>\n John: I work, uh \u2014 work for an industry with an approval rating below Congress.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>He\u2019s a pharmaceutical sales rep! He asked us to keep his full name and employer confidential.\u00a0<\/p>\n He\u2019s also an Arm and a Leg fan.\u00a0<\/p>\n John: I love it when, uh, I hear stories of average people just sticking it to the insurance company. It\u2019s nice when the patient wins, cause they don\u2019t get a lot of wins.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>We reached John in his primary office \u2014 also known as his car.\u00a0<\/p>\n When we asked listeners a few months ago to share lessons about getting prescription meds without paying an arm and a leg, he wrote right in with tips.\u00a0<\/p>\n And one, I love just for the attitude. Here\u2019s John reading from the email he sent us:\u00a0<\/p>\n John: Step therapies. Uh, denials and price at pharmacy should be viewed as suggestions.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Suggestions. Perfect. The other is much more specific. As a salesman, a big part of John\u2019s job is prepping doctors for the fights they\u2019re gonna have with insurance companies, to get approvals for drugs. He does that because approvals for them mean sales for John.\u00a0<\/p>\n Of course, approvals take time.\u00a0<\/p>\n John: But one thing that you know doesn\u2019t care about time is diseases.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n The disease of Crohn\u2019s or Bipolar disorder, whatever, isn\u2019t like, look, I\u2019ll hold off on affecting you until this prior authorization is done.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>So here\u2019s John\u2019s advice: while you\u2019re fighting for that approval\u2013 pushing back on the insurance company\u2019s \u201csuggestion\u201d that you try something else\u2013 Ask your provider if they can get free samples from the pharma company \u2014 from a rep like him.<\/p>\n John: And the provider hopefully will say, yeah, let me call the rep and we\u2019ll leave some at front for you.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Actually, your provider may already have some on hand. A study from a few years ago found that TWO THIRDS of primary-care practices had CLOSETS of pharmaceutical samples. Which, wow.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, let\u2019s address something big: Like John joked about as we introduced him, pharma sales reps are NOT generally looked upon as model citizens.\u00a0<\/p>\n The rap is: Some of them use less-than-scrupulous tactics to encourage doctors to prescribe expensive drugs\u2026 even to patients who might not get extra benefit from a specific drug. Or, in the case of opioids \u2014 which got pushed really hard \u2014 might cause harm. And free samples are part of that process.\u00a0<\/p>\n So, some providers won\u2019t meet with sales reps at all. Some health systems don\u2019t allow any of their staff to meet with them.\u00a0<\/p>\n But you don\u2019t have to approve of how pharmaceutical companies do their business to take advantage of John\u2019s suggestion. And neither does your doctor.\u00a0<\/p>\n John says, to get free samples, your doctor might not even need to talk to anyone.\u00a0<\/p>\n They can just make a request online, at the manufacturer\u2019s website. John says it definitely happens.\u00a0<\/p>\n John: So even with providers or doctors that I\u2019ve never seen in my nine years, I know that they\u2019ve gotten samples before.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>But here too, there will be limits.\u00a0<\/p>\n John: Some manufacturers don\u2019t even do samples. So it really varies a lot. Dan: <\/strong>But a lot of these samples do exist \u2014\u00a0<\/p>\n And the idea of using them as a stopgap while you fight to get your insurance to pay for the meds you need \u2014 I had never thought of it until we asked you, our listeners, for your tips.<\/p>\n And you also sent us this: Could a local clinic supply the meds you need for a price you can actually afford? That\u2019s next..\u00a0<\/p>\n This episode of An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. That\u2019s a nonprofit newsroom covering health issues in America. Their journalists do amazing work. We\u2019re honored to be their colleagues.\u00a0<\/p>\n OK, a whole new kind of expert here. Like Jeanne, who we heard from earlier. Cristy Gupton also lives in North Carolina. She works as an independent employee benefits designer. You\u2019re probably like, what the hell is that? Here\u2019s how she describes her work.\u00a0<\/p>\n Cristy Gupton: Imagine you\u2019re a kid in high school, in shop class, and your teacher puts an old engine on the table, and says, take it apart and put it back together again and make sure it works.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Except, the machine is a health benefit program for workers. And\u2013 back to the shop-class metaphor \u2014 Cristy says she\u2019s the real gear-head in the room .\u00a0<\/p>\n Cristy Gupton: By the time I put the engine back together, it works twice as good, but at half the cost.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Cristy says she does it by ditching expensive, off-the-shelf parts \u2014 standard insurance policies from big companies \u2014 for custom solutions. It\u2019s a WHOLE THING, and super-interesting, and worth going into.\u00a0<\/p>\n For now, she\u2019s got one big tip that *some* of us could use to get access to meds at super-low prices. Basically it\u2019s this: Look for a community health center that offers a sliding scale. They can get drugs at extremely low prices, through a federal program called 340B.\u00a0<\/p>\n How low?\u00a0<\/p>\n Cristy Gupton: The drug Humira is one of the most prescribed drugs in America. And the list price is probably somewhere in the neighborhood of 5,000 a month. But a 340B covered entity could purchase it for a penny.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>So we checked, and actually: Humira\u2019s list price isn\u2019t 5,000 dollars. It\u2019s 7,000 dollars. But YES, a 340B clinic can get it for a penny. Now, they don\u2019t get every drug that cheap, but..<\/p>\n And look: although this is all very much worth knowing about, it\u2019s not guaranteed to work for you.\u00a0<\/p>\n 340B is complicated in all kinds of ways. Here\u2019s my colleague Emily Pisacreta asking Christy about it.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emily: Help me understand what 340B is.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Cristy Gupton: I\u2019ll give you my best, um, like only know enough to be dangerous answer.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>After checking some actual experts, here\u2019s what we think you need to know:\u00a0<\/p>\n A federal law from the 1990s \u2014 section 340B of that law \u2014 basically requires drug-makers to give some hospitals and health centers that serve low-income folks super-duper discounts on meds.\u00a0<\/p>\n Those discounts don\u2019t always get passed along to patients. The feds say hospitals and clinics can take a profit, to subsidize their other work .\u00a0<\/p>\n But the rules say: community health centers DO need to make drugs affordable to people with lower incomes. Specifically, to people who make less than two times the federal poverty level.\u00a0<\/p>\n For 2025, that\u2019s just over 64 thousand dollars for a family of four. Not a lot.\u00a0<\/p>\n But it\u2019s a lot of people: More than 28 percent of Americans qualify. And some clinics may have sliding scales for people with higher incomes than that.\u00a0<\/p>\n So: There\u2019s a search tool. We\u2019ve got a link wherever you\u2019re listening to this. Find a clinic in your area, call them, and see what the deal is.\u00a0<\/p>\n One last thing to know: You\u2019ve gotta actually be a patient at the clinic in order to use this program. And actually, if you meet the income requirements, all the clinic\u2019s services are gonna be super-subidized.\u00a0<\/p>\n But if you don\u2019t want to engage too deeply with the clinic\u2013 don\u2019t want to switch over all your care to a new team \u2014 Cristy says, in her experience, you may not have to.<\/p>\n Cristy Gupton: It can be as loose as they just have a virtual visit. I mean, that\u2019s pretty simple.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Again, we\u2019ve got a link to the search tool for finding a health center near you. Which of course\u2026near you\u2026 not everybody is gonna have. Your mileage may vary, literally. But is it worth checking? Yeah, I think so.\u00a0<\/p>\n OK we\u2019ve thrown a LOT at you. I know, I know. And we do have one more set of expert tips. From someone we are really glad to have met. So here\u2019s Erika \u2014 and her expertise is part of a lifelong project.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: You know, as a child with Type one diabetes, I had a very dysfunctional household and I had to take care of myself from a very young age. I have learned that the skills that I developed as a child with a chronic illness are transferable into a career to help people be taken care of.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>So now, she works as a patient navigator\u2013 a kind of case worker, at a hospital in rural Oregon.\u00a0<\/p>\n When my colleague Emily talked with Erika, they bonded a little.\u00a0<\/p>\n Emily: I live with Type One Diabetes and I really wish that I had had a patient navigator, um, when I was diagnosed.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Erika: Yeah, I wish I had me as a patient navigator too.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Most of the patients Erika does work with are managing chronic conditions and other serious health problems, under tough circumstances.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: For example, let\u2019s say a patient has an amputation and they\u2019re told on discharge to keep it elevated and keep it clean. Well if they\u2019re living in their car, that can be a challenge. So in that case, case management would try to find them a hotel for a couple weeks.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>And of course, one of the most common problems she tackles: helping people get their meds at prices they can afford.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: There are weeks where that\u2019s all I\u2019ll do.<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>For insured patients, Erika he starts with drugs-and-insurance 101: Helping them figure out which drugs their insurance covers, at what price to them, and coaching them before they call their insurance company.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika:I offer to be on the call with them if they want. And I will tell you right now that we\u2019re gonna be on hold with that insurance company for 30 minutes\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Yeah, that sounds familiar. Also, for some patients on Medicaid, Erika runs interference with bureaucracies.\u00a0<\/p>\n And, when there\u2019s no way that insurance will make the right drugs affordable for her patients\u2013 including folks with no insurance at all\u2013 Erika helps them explore one of the options she wrote in to us about.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cPatient Assistance Programs\u201d based on income. Some are from manufacturers, others come from private foundations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: It\u2019s such a matter of somebody knowing who to ask and where to get the stuff.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>And there are websites to find this kind of thing \u2014 we\u2019ve got links and guides for you \u2014 and she says the applications aren\u2019t complicated.\u00a0<\/p>\n But the people she works with, they need extra help.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: A lot of my patients don\u2019t even know how to use a computer or to get onto the internet, or they don\u2019t have smart phones, they just have cell phones. So a lot of them, I meet with them. I take my laptop, and we do an online application. I help them fill it out.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>And then hope it works. Some programs only give out so much assistance per year, so not everybody gets help.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: It\u2019s a frustrating fight. I feel bad that people have to wage this, you know, to get what they need to be healthy. It\u2019s, it\u2019s not like people are asking for BMW or new clothing. People are asking for, oftentimes medications they need to keep themselves alive. It\u2019s, it\u2019s like asking for oxygen. Like what if you were told you you couldn\u2019t afford oxygen? That\u2019s the way people feel sometimes.<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>And that\u2019s why, even though Erika wrote to us about practical specifics, it\u2019s her approach, her presence <\/em>that we especially wanted to share with you.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: I advised all my patients to get a tattoo that says, be persistent. I mean, seriously, I don\u2019t expect them to get tattoos. But as a patient who manages a chronic condition, you just have to be.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Oh yeah. The ongoing burden of dealing with all this, it\u2019s a bear. And it came up again and again when you wrote in to us.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: Yeah. Stress management, whew.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>For Erika\u2019s patients, and for herself too.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: I have to remember to like, stop, step away, do some breathing. And these are things I teach to my patients a little bit too. Like, okay, let\u2019s stop and do some breathing together on the phone. Okay.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>She calls her strategy \u201cself compassion.\u201d It\u2019s about helping people see how much they\u2019re already doing.\u00a0<\/p>\n Erika: I encourage people to take a moment and appreciate that about yourself. Okay? you\u2019ve been on the phone with your insurance company for 30 minutes.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n You\u2019re trying to get this done. You really need to appreciate that you\u2019re doing that for your health. For your health. Feel good about that, at least.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>You are taking time to listen to this podcast. We are here, right now, together, doing our best.\u00a0<\/p>\n For the practical lessons \u2014 all the things to try, that may or may not work \u2014 we\u2019ve done our best to write them down for you, and organize them so they\u2019re useful, in our First Aid Kit newsletter. Four installments.\u00a0<\/p>\n You can find those newsletters \u2014 and these episodes \u2014 at Arm and a Leg show, dot com, slash, drugs.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s the address where we first asked you to share what you\u2019d learned by walking through this maze. Now we\u2019re inviting you to come and see what we\u2019ve learned from you.<\/p>\n Arm and a Leg show dot com, slash drugs. There\u2019ll be a link wherever you\u2019re listening to this.\u00a0<\/p>\n And you\u2019ll find one more thing there, too.\u00a0<\/p>\n To honor the endless and ridiculous process that we sometimes have to go through to get our medicines\u2026 my colleague Claire Davenport, who has led the reporting for so much of this series, made an endless and ridiculous song. Well, with the help of an AI. Stay tuned after the credits for a little taste of that.\u00a0<\/p>\n We\u2019ll be back with a new episode in a few weeks.\u00a0<\/p>\n Till next time, take care of yourself.\u00a0<\/p>\n This episode of An Arm and a Leg was produced by Emily Pisacreta and Claire Davenport with help from me, Dan Weissmann, and Lauren Gould.\u00a0<\/p>\n And edited by Ellen Weiss.\u00a0<\/p>\n Adam Raymonda is our audio wizard.\u00a0<\/p>\n Our music is by Dave Weiner and Blue Dot Sessions.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bea Bosco is our consulting director of operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lynne Johnson is our operations manager.\u00a0<\/p>\n An Arm and a Leg is produced in partnership with KFF Health News. That\u2019s a national newsroom producing in-depth journalism about health issues in America \u2014 and a core program at KFF: an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism.\u00a0<\/p>\n Zach Dyer is senior audio producer at KFF Health News. He\u2019s the editorial liaison to this show.\u00a0<\/p>\n An Arm and a Leg is Distributed by KUOW \u2014 Seattle\u2019s NPR station. And thanks to the Institute for Nonprofit News for serving as our fiscal sponsor.\u00a0<\/p>\n They allow us to accept tax-exempt donations. You can learn more about INN at INN.org.<\/p>\n Finally, thank you to everybody who supports this show financially. You can join in any time at Arm and a Leg show, dot com, slash: support.\u00a0<\/p>\n And NOW\u2026.a little treat.\u00a0<\/p>\n So: At one point, we were like, \u201cWhat if we could make like a jingle to help people remember all the tactics we\u2019re talking about?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But when our producer Claire tried actually writing one, with AI supplying the melody and the band \u2014 it just kinda showed us how endless and ridiculous the list actually is.\u00a0<\/p>\n And we found that just adorable. Here\u2019s how it starts\u2026\u00a0<\/p>\n AI Song: I am a prescription \u2013 medication. And as you might know, I\u2019m Expensive in this nation. Getting me can be confusing. And often quite scary. Since when it comes to meds. The prices can vary. Luckily, there\u2019s some tricks you can try. When you\u2019re in this situation and the price is high\u2026\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Dan: <\/strong>Alright, I think you get the idea \u2014 and if you want more, it\u2019s all at Arm and a Leg show dot com, slash, drugs. Along with these podcast episodes and First Aid Kit newsletter installments, and everything we hope you\u2019ll actually find useful. Thanks.<\/p>\n \u201cAn Arm and a Leg\u201d is a co-production of KFF Health News and Public Road Productions.<\/p>\n For more from the team at \u201cAn Arm and a Leg,\u201d subscribe to its weekly newsletter, First Aid Kit<\/a>. You can also\u00a0follow the show on\u00a0Facebook<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0the social platform X<\/a>. And if you\u2019ve got stories to tell about the health care system, the producers\u00a0would love to hear from you<\/a>.<\/p>\n To hear all KFF Health News podcasts, click here<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n And subscribe to \u201cAn Arm and a Leg\u201d on Spotify<\/a>, Apple Podcasts<\/a>, Pocket Casts<\/a>, or wherever you listen to podcasts.<\/em><\/p>\n KFF Health News<\/a> is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues and is one of the core operating programs at KFF\u2014an independent source of health policy research, polling, and journalism. Learn more about KFF<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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